Iowa Families to Win Cash for Educational Expenses

Iowa high school students and their families still have time to enter to receive money for educational expenses and scholarships by completing a free online tool that helps them estimate the total cost of a four-year undergraduate degree. The College Funding Forecaster Giveaway features weekly drawings for two $250 awards, and Iowa high school seniors can enter a grand prize drawing for two $1,500 awards.

Iowa high school students, and their parents or guardians, can enter their information for the drawings after completing the College Funding Forecaster until 5 p.m. on May 11. The free online tool provided by Iowa Student Loan® uses information from students’ freshman year financial aid award packets, as well outside scholarships and grants and family savings and earnings, to project estimated costs, funding gaps and potential student loan debt over four years.

“We want to help families make the connection between first-year costs and the total financial investment in a college education,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of Iowa Student Loan. “This tool helps them see how their costs might increase, what happens when one-year scholarship awards are exhausted, and how the family and student contributions can play a role in reducing overall costs.”

The tool allows families to customize both expenses and available funding to adjust results for changes in students’ situations over the four years. The results show yearly and total estimated costs of attendance, available funding and projected funding gaps. The tool also provides informational tips on how to reduce costs and potential debt.

After viewing their results, users have the opportunity to enter the drawings. Two names will be drawn each week to receive $250 awards for educational expenses. In a grand prize drawing, two names will also be drawn to each receive $1,500 for the students’ college expenses in fall 2018. The grand prizes will be paid directly to the students’ colleges.